لِعُمرك ما الدُنيا العَريضة بِالدُنيا

لِعُمرك ما الدُنيا العَريضة بِالدُنيا

إِذا ما نَأَت عَنكَ المُهفهفة اللميا

إِذا ما نَأَت عَنكَ المُهفهفة اللميا

By your life, the vast world is no world

For your life, spacious though the world may be

If the slender, dark-lipped woman has gone far from you.

It is not the world if the veiled one turns from you.

مُحَجَبة قَد أَقسَم البيض وَالقَنا

مُحَجَبة قَد أَقسَم البيض وَالقَنا

بِأَلحاظِها أَن لا تَزور وَلا رُؤيا

بِأَلحاظِها أَن لا تَزور وَلا رُؤيا

Veiled—white swords and spears have sworn

She has sworn by her glances never to visit

By her glances that she shall not visit, not even in a dream.

Nor be visited, neither in reality nor in dreams,

مرنحة الأَعطاف رَيمية الطَلا

مرنحة الأَعطاف رَيمية الطَلا

فَما عَرفت قُلباً وَلا اِتَخَذت حليا

فَما عَرفت قُلباً وَلا اِتَخَذت حليا

Swaying of figure, gazelle-necked,

With swaying limbs and roving eyes,

Thus she has known no bracelet, nor worn any jewelry.

She has known no heart nor accepted any love-tokens,

تَراءَت وَما بِالبَدر مِنها مُشابه

تَراءَت وَما بِالبَدر مِنها مُشابه

وَلا بِظبا الجَرعا وَلا البانة الريا

وَلا بِظبا الجَرعا وَلا البانة الريا

She appeared; there is no likeness of her in the full moon,

She appears not like the full moon nor the shy gazelle,

Nor in the gazelles of the sandy rise, nor in the lush bān-tree.

Neither like the doe nor the sand grouse.

تَسائلني مَن أَنت وَهِيَ عَليمة

تَسائلني مَن أَنت وَهِيَ عَليمة

فَقُلت لَها مَيت يُعدّ مِن الأَحيا

فَقُلت لَها مَيت يُعدّ مِن الأَحيا

She asks me, 'Who are you?' though she knows well.

She questions me, who are you? While she knows full well,

So I said to her, 'A dead man counted among the living.'

I say to her, I am a dead man among the living.

فَقالَت وَمَن أَفتى بِهَذا وَما الَّذي

فَقالَت وَمَن أَفتى بِهَذا وَما الَّذي

دَهاكَ وَما غادَرت في حُبِنا نَسيا

دَهاكَ وَما غادَرت في حُبِنا نَسيا

Then she said, 'Who pronounced this ruling, and what is it that

She says, who gave this verdict and what is it

Has befallen you? You have overlooked nothing in loving us.'

That has stricken you and left you no forgetfulness of our love?

فَقُلت بَياض تَحتَ مسود سالف

فَقُلت بَياض تَحتَ مسود سالف

لِقَتلي في دين الغَرام هُما الفُتيا

لِقَتلي في دين الغَرام هُما الفُتيا

So I said, 'Whiteness beneath a dark sidelock—

I say, my pallor beneath my black hair

In the faith of passion, these two are the ruling for my death.'

For killing me in the religion of love - these two dictate my judgement.

فَقالَت صهٍ مِن ذا مِن الضَيم يَشتَكي

فَقالَت صهٍ مِن ذا مِن الضَيم يَشتَكي

وَقَد مَلأَ الدُنيا بِمَعروفِهِ يَحيى

وَقَد مَلأَ الدُنيا بِمَعروفِهِ يَحيى

Then she said, 'Hush! Who is it that complains of injustice,

She said, "Hush! Who would complain of wrong

When Yahya has filled the world with his benevolence?'

When the world is filled with his benevolence and life?"

أَتَمَّ وُلاة الحَق عِلماً وَهمة

أَتَمَّ وُلاة الحَق عِلماً وَهمة

وَأَشرَف مَن دانَت لِهِمَتِهِ العُليا

وَأَشرَف مَن دانَت لِهِمَتِهِ العُليا

The most accomplished of just rulers in learning and aspiration,

He who is the best of rulers in knowledge and ambition

And the noblest of those to whose aspiration the heights have bowed;

And the noblest of those to whom supremacy is subject,

وَأَطوَلَهُم باعاً وَأَكمَلَهُم حجاً

وَأَطوَلَهُم باعاً وَأَكمَلَهُم حجاً

وَأَنفَذَهُم قَولاً وَأَثقَبَهُم رَأَيا

وَأَنفَذَهُم قَولاً وَأَثقَبَهُم رَأَيا

And the greatest of them in reach, the fullest in intellect,

The longest in reach, the most perfect in pilgrimage,

And the most authoritative of them in speech, the most penetrating in judgment.

The most effective in word, and the profoundest in judgment,

فَما الرَوضة الزَهراءُ يَعبقَق نَشرَها

فَما الرَوضة الزَهراءُ يَعبقَق نَشرَها

بِأَطيَب يَوماً مِن خَلائِقِهِ رَيا

بِأَطيَب يَوماً مِن خَلائِقِهِ رَيا

For no radiant garden, its fragrance wafting,

The blossoming garden spreads not its fragrance

Is ever sweeter in scent than his character;

With sweeter scent than his creatures' satisfaction,

وَلا المُزنة الوَطفاءُ تَهمي جُفونَها

وَلا المُزنة الوَطفاءُ تَهمي جُفونَها

بِأَغدَق مِن جَدوى أَنامِله سَقيا

بِأَغدَق مِن جَدوى أَنامِله سَقيا

Nor is the thick-lashed raincloud, its eyelids streaming,

Nor does the languishing vine moisten its lid

More lavish in its showers than the bounty of his fingertips.

With a more generous flow than the watering of his fingers.

فَلو أَن أُم الدَهر رامَت مُشابِهاً

فَلو أَن أُم الدَهر رامَت مُشابِهاً

لَهُ لَم تَلد إِلّا الخَسارة وَالأَعيا

لَهُ لَم تَلد إِلّا الخَسارة وَالأَعيا

For if Time's mother sought an equal

Had the Mother of Eternity sought to match him,

To him, she would bear nothing but loss and exhaustion.

She would have borne only loss and misery.

فَيا مَن بِماضي الحَزم أَودى مظالِماً

فَيا مَن بِماضي الحَزم أَودى مظالِماً

وَأَورى زِناد العَزم في جلق وَرَيا

وَأَورى زِناد العَزم في جلق وَرَيا

So, O you who destroyed injustices with keen-edged resolve,

O you whose firmness of purpose has destroyed tyrannies

And kindled determination's fire-flints to a blaze in Jilliq,

And quenched the glowing embers of discord,

لَكَ اللَهُ أَرشدت الزَمان إِلى الهُدى

لَكَ اللَهُ أَرشدت الزَمان إِلى الهُدى

وَأَخمَدَت بِالعَدل الضَلالة وَالغَيا

وَأَخمَدَت بِالعَدل الضَلالة وَالغَيا

God be with you! You have guided the age to the right path,

God has guided the times aright through you

And, through justice, extinguished error and waywardness.

And through justice extinguished misguidance and vain desire.

جَزاكَ الَّذي اِسترعاكَ أَمر عِبادِهِ

جَزاكَ الَّذي اِسترعاكَ أَمر عِبادِهِ

بِنجلين نالا في الوَرى الغاية القُصيا

بِنجلين نالا في الوَرى الغاية القُصيا

He who entrusted you with His servants' affairs has rewarded you

May He who appointed you over the affairs of His servants

With two sons who have attained the utmost goal among humankind.

Reward you with two scions who have attained in the world the utmost ambition,

هُما غُصنا دَوح لِلمَآثر وَالنَدى

هُما غُصنا دَوح لِلمَآثر وَالنَدى

وَنِجما سَماء العِزّ بَل زَهرةُ الدُنيا

وَنِجما سَماء العِزّ بَل زَهرةُ الدُنيا

They are two boughs of the great trees of noble deeds and generosity,

They are two branches of glory and dew,

And two stars in the sky of glory—nay, the flower of the world.

Two stars in the firmament of might, indeed the adornment of the world.

كَريمان مِن قَبل الفِطام تَحالَفا

كَريمان مِن قَبل الفِطام تَحالَفا

عَلى أَن يَمُدا لِلسَخاءِ مَعاً يَديا

عَلى أَن يَمُدا لِلسَخاءِ مَعاً يَديا

Two generous souls who, before weaning, swore a pact

Noble were they from before their weaning,

To extend their hands together in generosity;

Sworn to extend generosity together with both hands,

وَلا اِتَخَذا إِلّا الفَخار تَميمةً

وَلا اِتَخَذا إِلّا الفَخار تَميمةً

وَلا اِرتَضعا إِلّا العُلى لَهُما ثَديا

وَلا اِرتَضعا إِلّا العُلى لَهُما ثَديا

And took nothing but glory as their amulet,

Choosing nothing but glory as their amulet,

And suckled no breast but greatness itself.

Suckling only greatness - for them a teat;

وَدُونَكها مِن نَسج فكري حلة

وَدُونَكها مِن نَسج فكري حلة

مُنَمقة بِالحَمد قَد حسنت وَشيا

مُنَمقة بِالحَمد قَد حسنت وَشيا

And take it—a robe woven from my thought,

And below you is a raiment of my thought,

Adorned with praise, truly beautiful in its embroidery.

Embroidered with praise, excellently cut and sewn.

تَضوع مِن أَردانِها نفحة الثَنا

تَضوع مِن أَردانِها نفحة الثَنا

فَلو نَفَحت مَيتاً لَعادَ بِها حَيا

فَلو نَفَحت مَيتاً لَعادَ بِها حَيا

A breath of praise wafts from its sleeves;

There wafts from its hems the fragrance of eulogy,

So, if it breathed on a dead man, he would return to life through it.

Were it to blow on the dead, they would live again through it.

تَناهَبت الأَلحاظ حُسن اِنتِظامِها

تَناهَبت الأَلحاظ حُسن اِنتِظامِها

وَقَد حَفت الأَسماع مِن لَفظِها الأَريا

وَقَد حَفت الأَسماع مِن لَفظِها الأَريا

Glances have vied to seize the beauty of its composition,

Eyes vie for the beauty of its composition,

And ears have gathered round the honey of its words,

And ears strive to hear its delicate phrasing,

أَلَذ مِن الماء القِراح عَلى الصَدا

أَلَذ مِن الماء القِراح عَلى الصَدا

وَأَعذَب مِن عَتب الحَبيب لَدى اللُقيا

وَأَعذَب مِن عَتب الحَبيب لَدى اللُقيا

More delicious than pure water to the thirsty,

Sweeter than the purest water on the lips of the thirsty,

And sweeter than the beloved's reproach upon meeting.

And more delicious than the kisses of the beloved at the reunion.